Now available for all the teens: healthy skin and hair. Washing (and using soap!) can make a huge difference in your appearance. Although directed at boys and girls, clearly the girls have more issues and concerns. Girls can lose jobs or not get asked out if they are not vigilant with skin and hair care. I guess boys just need to change underwear regularly and wash up. Note the picture of the boys haircuts and the suggestion of a fake mustache.

Obviously this is a weeder for SO many reasons, not the least being recommending a fake mustache to a teenager or telling a girl she won’t get the job, regardless of her skills, unless she is put together.

]]>http://awfullibrarybooks.net/teen-skin-and-hair-advice/feed/2http://awfullibrarybooks.net/teen-skin-and-hair-advice/Intimate Feelings and Your Manhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/awfullibrarybooks/~3/89gGVdTd2ww/
http://awfullibrarybooks.net/intimate-feelings-and-your-man/#respondFri, 18 Jan 2019 19:42:48 +0000http://awfullibrarybooks.net/?p=60616Why Can’t Men Open Up? Naifeh and Smith 1984 Ladies, once again we have super advice on how to understand your man and get him to open up. Evidently, the women’s movement has made your man unsure of his own

Ladies, once again we have super advice on how to understand your man and get him to open up. Evidently, the women’s movement has made your man unsure of his own worth and role in your relationship. Men are left floundering in the new male/female relationships.

The authors identify some tropes such as the Strong Silent Man, the Loner, and the Workaholic. They also discuss male communication styles and how cultural expectations create some serious problems for men. The book isn’t too bad for the time. It does have a pop psychology feel, although a decent bibliography. I think it would have been popular in the 80s and even into the 1990s, and an appropriate purchase for a library.

Since I was the target market for this book back in the day, I will say it might have appealed to me, since I married Mr Introverted Engineer. 36 years later, I don’t want to know his feelings except for what he feels like having on his pizza. We haven’t divorced or killed each other, so I think we are good with a limited discussion of feelings.

]]>http://awfullibrarybooks.net/intimate-feelings-and-your-man/feed/0http://awfullibrarybooks.net/intimate-feelings-and-your-man/Side Hustle Funhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/awfullibrarybooks/~3/XkHZnYZR_JA/
http://awfullibrarybooks.net/side-hustle-fun/#commentsThu, 17 Jan 2019 17:13:42 +0000http://awfullibrarybooks.net/?p=60546Hobbies for Pleasure and Profit Coon 1955 The words pleasure and profit show up in quite a few titles around ALB. Remember Applehead Dolls? Or maybe Enameling? I had no idea there was so much pleasure and profit in craft

The words pleasure and profit show up in quite a few titles around ALB. Remember Applehead Dolls? Or maybe Enameling? I had no idea there was so much pleasure and profit in craft projects. But I digress.

There are all sorts of ideas in this little book. How about cooking for men? I guess women can just order takeout. There is even a suggestion for daydreaming. Really. Our author suggests starting with murder. Don’t worry, this is only an exercise in working your imagination. (I hope.) Take all these crazy daydreams and then go create the Great American Novel.

Go forth and get some pleasure and profit for yourself. You’re welcome.

]]>http://awfullibrarybooks.net/side-hustle-fun/feed/3http://awfullibrarybooks.net/side-hustle-fun/Positive Pessimismhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/awfullibrarybooks/~3/05KZG0YaANY/
http://awfullibrarybooks.net/positive-pessimism/#commentsWed, 16 Jan 2019 12:07:23 +0000http://awfullibrarybooks.net/?p=60519The Power of Positive Pessimism Proverbs For Our Times Kandel 1973 This is one of those little gift books they sell at the card store as a kind of gift. It’s supposed to be clever and funny, but it doesn’t

This is one of those little gift books they sell at the card store as a kind of gift. It’s supposed to be clever and funny, but it doesn’t work for me. Of course, your mileage may vary. It’s an odd size and probably wouldn’t be a good choice, but there might be a reason to add it to the collection. I just can’t think of any reason right now.

]]>http://awfullibrarybooks.net/positive-pessimism/feed/2http://awfullibrarybooks.net/positive-pessimism/Catholics on the Internethttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/awfullibrarybooks/~3/zX2Q0KFfK7Q/
http://awfullibrarybooks.net/catholics-on-the-internet/#commentsTue, 15 Jan 2019 12:53:18 +0000http://awfullibrarybooks.net/?p=60571Catholics on the Internet Raymond 1997 Submitter: We missed weeding this until now because 1) it was classed in 282 and not 005 2) it was a reference item, so it wouldn’t have shown up on a no-circ report. While

Submitter: We missed weeding this until now because 1) it was classed in 282 and not 005 2) it was a reference item, so it wouldn’t have shown up on a no-circ report.

While some of the chapters are organized by topic (websites for Dioceses, Schools, etc), pgs 89-150 are a listing of bookmarks alphabetical by website name. Maybe not so handy.

Also includes gopher and FTP sites!

Holly: Can we talk about reference collections, you guys? Putting an item in a reference collection does not mean “keep it forever.” Submitter pointed out to me in a follow up email that this book likely got forgotten about when they moved it from what they call “room reference” to “basement reference.” We have to weed our reference collections (no matter where you put them or what you call them) just as frequently – if perhaps less intensely – as every other collection. Thank you, Submitter, for finding and weeding this one!

Second, I see items in reference collections all the time and wonder why they were ever labeled as reference in the first place. Why not circulate this? Items that are in high demand, rare or hard to replace, and expensive might warrant in-house use only. For everything else, why not circulate it? I’m wondering if other libraries place items in reference collections due to the format of the information (directories, encyclopedias, almanacs) or due to a genuine need to keep it close? Here’s an example: I see price guides for antiques or coin/paper money collections placed in reference a lot. The format of those books are definitely referency, but the way in which those materials are used by patrons requires them to spend time with the book, and maybe even have their specific collectible item with them while they use the book. Collectible price guides are not expensive. They’re not hard to find. They’re not irreplaceable. They are in high demand at my library, which is why we buy the most current edition each year and hang on to the last one or two editions as well – all checkout-able.

]]>http://awfullibrarybooks.net/catholics-on-the-internet/feed/7http://awfullibrarybooks.net/catholics-on-the-internet/The Newest in Tech Trends: Blogs!http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/awfullibrarybooks/~3/hOeNj5JZA9k/
http://awfullibrarybooks.net/the-newest-in-tech-trends-blogs/#commentsMon, 14 Jan 2019 12:35:27 +0000http://awfullibrarybooks.net/?p=60539Blogging Genius Strategies for Instant Web Content Stone 2003 I hear that blogging thing is all the rage. It doesn’t seem that 2003 was that long ago, but in the world of technology trends, it is practically ancient. I remember

I hear that blogging thing is all the rage. It doesn’t seem that 2003 was that long ago, but in the world of technology trends, it is practically ancient. I remember having to convince the “old timers” that computers and tech support were going to be a major part of library service. I hit the world of libraries in 1998 and had been to many meetings where the resistance to technology was palpable. At the ALA convention in 2009 Holly and I gave a presentation on how tech support is very much a part of reference service. Most of the audience was on board with our ideas, but I distinctly remember more than a few scowls (complete with crossed arms) on our evidently controversial topic. I hope they are long retired or at the great big reference desk in the sky waiting on some irritating patrons. (Just kidding, sort of.)

]]>http://awfullibrarybooks.net/the-newest-in-tech-trends-blogs/feed/2http://awfullibrarybooks.net/the-newest-in-tech-trends-blogs/Folk Crafts for Kidshttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/awfullibrarybooks/~3/I7RtGgy4Cj0/
http://awfullibrarybooks.net/folk-crafts-for-kids/#commentsThu, 10 Jan 2019 12:55:14 +0000http://awfullibrarybooks.net/?p=60280Folk Crafts for World Friendship Temko 1976 This is one of those books that has a great idea, but doesn’t quite deliver. My particular copy was a little sad and yellowed, and should have been weeded on condition. Even for

This is one of those books that has a great idea, but doesn’t quite deliver. My particular copy was a little sad and yellowed, and should have been weeded on condition. Even for 1976, the artwork and pictures are a bit stale. From the cover, I would not have expected craft projects to do. The look of this book makes me think of an adult museum publication rather than a book for kids. I do like the idea of craft projects for kids from around the world. It just ought to look like a book on crafts for kids from around the world.

Mary

PS. I lived in the UK for 2 years in the 1990s and never heard of “pearlies.” Obviously, I missed something. Can someone enlighten me?

]]>http://awfullibrarybooks.net/folk-crafts-for-kids/feed/11http://awfullibrarybooks.net/folk-crafts-for-kids/Man Huntinghttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/awfullibrarybooks/~3/IjhQUkqnthQ/
http://awfullibrarybooks.net/man-hunting/#commentsWed, 09 Jan 2019 13:01:05 +0000http://awfullibrarybooks.net/?p=60489How to Catch a Man Cameron, Parker, Thomas 1979 Ladies, are you desperate to bag a husband? Let this book get you prepared to go into the dating wild and get your trophy. In preparation, this book is all about

Ladies, are you desperate to bag a husband? Let this book get you prepared to go into the dating wild and get your trophy. In preparation, this book is all about your checklist before even starting. Lose the weight, make sure you don’t smell bad, shave your legs, learn to cook, and above all, be feminine.

Once you get yourself to a presentable state, time to identify your prey. Sporting events, college campuses, and office buildings are the suggested places for husband bagging opportunities. Reel your prey in with sweet talk and food. Finally, you need to work on domestication of your prey. Don’t worry, this book has all sorts of advice for taming your man.

]]>http://awfullibrarybooks.net/man-hunting/feed/5http://awfullibrarybooks.net/man-hunting/Serialshttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/awfullibrarybooks/~3/et9NFhQLf0c/
http://awfullibrarybooks.net/serials/#commentsWed, 09 Jan 2019 03:03:23 +0000http://awfullibrarybooks.net/?p=57621One of my library science student interns asked me to spend 20 minutes with her, going over with her how the serials collection is managed at our library. That is one of my collection responsibilities, so I was happy to

]]>One of my library science student interns asked me to spend 20 minutes with her, going over with her how the serials collection is managed at our library. That is one of my collection responsibilities, so I was happy to comply. (Truth: after I jumped for joy that anyone wanted to chat about serials, I miiiight have kept her for a full hour.) Here’s how it works at our library:

Our main vendor for serials is EBSCO. We receive a huge annual renewal packet from them in June that lists every single magazine we subscribe to through them. Not all titles have the same renewal date, but I love that everything is renewed in one packet. EBSCO takes care of whether they are renewed in September, January, or whenever. I simply tell them which titles to renew (or not) and any titles we want to add as new subscriptions. Most titles can be cancelled any time throughout the year, so that renewal packet isn’t a last-chance deal. It’s just a really convenient way of handling renewals.

When that packet arrives (two-sided, and a hundred or so pages long), I look through every title on every page. Some are obvious – I know we will always renew super popular magazines like People, Newsweek, Time, etc. Some titles are less obvious, and I look them up in our ILS (Sirsi/Dynix Symphony) to see if any of the issues have been used. That’s not super obvious either, since magazines are a very browsable collection and don’t always get checked out. To make up for that, I regularly walk around the magazine area and collect titles left on tables, chairs, and random shelves and use the “mark item used” feature in the ILS. That doesn’t make up for all the browsing that happens in the magazine collection, but I do it regularly enough that it definitely helps give a better picture of which titles are being looked at. Condition is pretty telling, too. Magazines in pristine condition haven’t been browsed. They are too fragile a format for that. So, titles where no issues (or very, very few) have been circulated or used are given a closer look. Do we subscribe to that title in Flipster, the eMagazine product? Is the title available in any of the library’s research databases? How expensive is it? How unique is the subject matter? Does it help balance viewpoints in the collection, especially in political, religion, or other lifestyle-specific titles? The answers to those questions help me decide what titles get renewed and which get cancelled.

Next, we take advantage of EBSCO’s Corporate Sponsorship program. A nice representative goes to businesses in our town on our behalf and asks them to gift magazine subscriptions for our patrons. A funeral home, a pharmacy, and an orthodontic office currently offer about 8-10 titles each through this program. It is fantastic! The representative asks the companies if they want to renew when it is time and lets me know if any titles are no longer available through the program, and I can pick different titles when that happens. We literally do nothing but send a thank-you note to the companies that sponsor the magazines.

Third, we have a program called “Adopt-a-Magazine.” Individual patrons can adopt magazine titles and pay the subscription cost. We in turn place a sticker on those titles that say things like “A Gift of the Smith Family” or “In Honor of Joe Smith from the Smith Family” or whatever they want it to say. The titles are renewed through the big EBSCO list I mentioned above and the patron’s money covers the cost. We have probably 50-60 titles adopted at any given time. Some families adopt several titles. When it is time to renew, they get a letter asking if they would like to pay for the renewal (said much more eloquently than that, of course, but you get the idea!). Most do, but occasionally they opt out and the library either cancels the title or picks up the tab in our periodicals budget.

Fourth are direct orders. Titles we subscribe to that EBSCO does not carry have to be directly ordered from the publisher. They are mostly newspapers, but also some bulk titles (Michigan Gardener – we get 30 copies a month that our patrons can take and keep) and specific requests from librarians on staff (for example, Easy English News is a newspaper used in our English Language Learners Conversation Group.) I generally avoid direct orders since we have to manually renew them throughout the year and watch for the paperwork from the publisher.

Last, I mentioned our eMagazines product above. We use EBSCO’s Flipster product, and we love it! It is completely easy to use, and we rarely have to do any tech support with our patrons on it. It is mostly popular titles at this point: Newsweek, US Weekly, Cosmopolitan, Road and Track, Self, and the like. They are mostly duplicates of titles we also receive in print, although that is not always the case. I sometimes cancel titles in print and move it to the electronic version via Flipster if it gets better use there. There are some titles that rarely get used or checked out in print, but have a great usage rate in Flipster. I keep monthly statistics on usage, such as how many titles were accessed at all, which titles were accessed, and which titles got no use through the Flipster system. Again, those titles are renewed once a year and I make a few changes here and there as needed, based on the data gathered each month throughout the year.

I’m very lucky to have a Circulation Clerk who handles all the actual ordering, claiming of missed issues, invoices, etc. I mainly handle the selection end of things and she takes it from there. The Adopt-a-Magazine letters are managed by her as well. In other words, she is the brains of the operation and I get the fun part. All due credit goes to my Serials Angel in Circulation!

It can be a tricky collection, with changing titles, publishers, publication cycles, and titles constantly moving to “digital only” format or ceasing to publish altogether. They’re still pretty popular in our library, though, with an annual circulation of 6808 in 2017 (down from 7666 in 2016). For context, we are a single-branch library that serves about 30,000 people. Collections with similar use are Adult New BluRays at 6,386 in 2017, Teen Manga at 6,763 in 2017, and Video games at 6,341 in 2017.

How does your library handle serials? Are they still popular with your patrons?

]]>http://awfullibrarybooks.net/serials/feed/3http://awfullibrarybooks.net/serials/Christian Beauty Tipshttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/awfullibrarybooks/~3/wYgvpvagtow/
http://awfullibrarybooks.net/christian-beauty-tips/#commentsTue, 08 Jan 2019 14:00:55 +0000http://awfullibrarybooks.net/?p=60068The Fragrance Of Beauty Landorf 1975 For the Christian woman, beauty is less about your appearance and more about inner beauty. The author talks about how fear can destroy a woman’s appearance. Self-esteem issues, depression, and ambivalence are hurting your

For the Christian woman, beauty is less about your appearance and more about inner beauty. The author talks about how fear can destroy a woman’s appearance. Self-esteem issues, depression, and ambivalence are hurting your looks. I doubt this is a news flash for anyone. However, if you do basics of face cleaning and light foundations, you can improve your outer self. I have a feeling this an early Christian version of the “fake it until you make it” school of thought.

Even given the time, I am still disappointed that women have to be a certain way in order to be happy. I guess everyone is okay with their genuine self as long as it fits into the picture of how women are supposed to behave.